here. At least there would
be less chance of being shelled there, and some food and shelter.

So we set off about 10 o'clock and eventually got to Amiens, where we
had a decent lunch. We had to keep hanging about the station,
however, inquiring for the train. It arrived about 9 P.M., about
eighteen hours late, and we were glad enough to get on board. It is
difficult enough to sleep sitting in a train, but I think I managed a
few hours of troubled sleep. And next morning we arrived in Le Havre.
The first thing there was to march the men down to a rest camp a long
way from the town, and a good way from the docks. We were told to
report back at the same place at 2.30 P.M. So we trudged back to Le
Havre and got shaved and fed. On returning to the Rest Camp we were
told that the boat would leave in twenty minutes and that, as it was a
good thirty minutes walk, we had better be quick. Fortunately we got
hold of a motor-car and got a lift part of the way and hurried along
after that as fast as we could. When we reached the dock we found the
boat would not leave for another two hours. The organisation here was
rotten just at this time, but it improved later. _The Viper_, a fast
packet-boat, took us across to Southampton. And next morning I
proceeded to Weston-super-Mare, having taken nearly three days on the
journey. Most of that leave I spent in bed in the hands of the doctor.
I was utterly worn out, not only with exhaustion, but with the
depression naturally caused by losing so many friends and comrades in
a manner apparently so fruitless.

The company of recruits I had at Alnwick, was practically wiped out, I
found about two of them with the battalion when I returned. Only
eleven were left of the battalion bombers, my good comrades of the
Salient. The Bombing Officers of the four battalions were all
casualties, four of them killed. There were few trained bombers left
in the whole brigade. I went back to France on December 2 in anything
but buoyant spirits.

On returning to Albert I found that the Brigade were billeted at the
small village of Bresle. And I got there without much difficulty. The
weather was wet and cold, as it generally is in December; but active
preparations were soon started for getting the Bombing School open. We
found a fairly good bombing-pit for the Brigade School, but we had to
make one for the battalions. I was now without trained instructors and
I had no Brigade Bombing Sergeant, but I was lent Cor